When I was in school I often had a problem controlling my vocal tics. They didn't bother me directly, but they would interrupt the teacher and I didn't enjoy the teasing or looks from the other kids.

As you probably already know TS is hardly a limiting factor even in intricate tasks because tics can temporarily disappear when you are focused on a specific task.

One day my mom discovered that my vocal tics were significantly reduced when I was chewing a piece of gum. I assume it is because I tend to get focused on it and play with it in my mouth. I found this discovery to be a useful tool when I was in public and didn't want to explain the whole thing to strangers. Especially if I was in class, or in a quiet meeting.

My mom had a meeting with the principal of my school and I was allowed to chew gum in school after that. It ended up working out nicely.

my first vocal tic sounded like a really loud sneeze, long before I was diagnosed my mother told me to pinch my nose when I felt like sneezing because you can't sneeze if your nose is blocked, which isn't true when I have a real sneeze coming pinching my nose does nothing but when it's a tic the feeling from touching a sensitive spot on my nose somethimes stops the urge. I've been able to disrupt some of my motor tics in similar ways.

Right now, I dont really have anything to add kate but I wanted you to know that your post has been read and I do appreciate your input.

How is this NRyan 115? I will move my question somewhere else.

Hello dlzimm,
I am glad that you have found these forums. The topic of this thread is supposed to be about quieting vocal tics. Since your post is about something entirely different you should have started a new discussion topic for it.

Hi NRyan,

The main reason for asking you about your experience with natural remedies (maybe you should move those posts here??) was because I am currently on a detox program which is exactly as you described, I can have water, meat, fresh veges, except for mushroom, nuts, except for peanuts and eggs ONLY. It's been just over 2 weeks so far, I've lost about 3 kg (I think that's about 7 pound) and up until yesterday I did not find it to be helping my tics at all and was really losing hope. But yesterday and today they seem to be much better. If it wasn't for the fact I want to loose another 5 kg, I don't think I would have continued this program, because it is so so very hard and frustrating and took my body over a week to adjust, I felt constantly hungry, got dizzy and saw spots when getting up or changing rooms with different lighting, and had no energy what so ever, but these last 2 days, I have gotten my hope back that this will work. I agree the vitamin supplements are horrible and I have to take this powder stuff called Calm X with water twice a day which is so very awful, I have only begun to get used to it late last week, to begin with it actually made me feel queasy. I have another appointment with the naturopath in 2 weeks to tell me what the next step is. I was hoping you had gone further in it than me and could give me some indication how much longer I have to suffer. I really want a Vegemite sandwich and a Magnum ice cream LOL. And cheese, oh how I miss pizza. If it turns out I have to have this very limited diet permanently, somehow I don't think I will last. It is just too hard but I'm hanging in there for now. Once my motivation is gone and I've lost the 5 more kgs, time will only tell how much longer I will stick to it.

Does anyone know any other ways?? I too don't like to idea of pills but I hate the noises I make so much, I also do a hand to nose covering and a head jerk at the same time followed by a very loud clearing of the throat, and really don't like how it makes me gag, I have learnt to minimise the actual throwing up but can't stop the gagging it is still horrible. I wish the chewing gum trick worked for me, it only makes me feel sick, I know that smoking cigarettes was an enabler for my jaw snapping. That has decreased immensely since giving up. Does anyone else use less sever forms of their tics to suppress the more obvious ones? For example I will play with hair, twirling it between my fingers to distract myself from the build up of snorting, and I will just sniff, or press my lips together and stretch out my nose to try to make the urge pass, or I will grind my teeth or open and close my mouth instead of clicking my jaw

Agreed about TV and movies and ticcing more - I do so much that I rarely can follow movies, I have to ask questions or rewind many times to part that I have missed. Driving my car seems to increase tics but this may be because most of the time I am driving I am alone so it's because I am alone that I can release.

So, if you are responding to the post I made in another forum and thread then other people will not be to follow along. You have to make responses in the same thread, or assume that noone understand what you are referring to. For a bit I thought you were off the topic of this specific thread - but it turns out you weren't. I wish I had some other advice to give you for suppressing vocal tics but I have had a deep voice less than grunt for a few years now that is hardly noticable. It has been a long time since I had my barking tic or anything too embarrassing so perhaps someone like Kate could help you more with this.

"Non Traditional Treatments", not involving medication. I've been hearing a bit about HRT (Habit Reversal Training). Talked to one physician who felt that the time and effort were not worth the result, or the possibility of a good result. Still, others pursue it. Maybe you can google to find more. I did find one medical person who works with this procedure. I so empathize with whoever was commenting on trying (so unsuccessfully) to watch movies or TV. Sure can relate to that. Rather lie in bed and say my prayers.

I have noticed the more active you are in something you like to do the TICS go away.. I have TS and i sing in a band www.fourblindmice.com when i am on stage people say they dont notice it . I think it is I am really focusing on singing. just like Mel Tillis never studdered when he was singing.....

It is quite common, if not practically guaranteed that people with TS do not tic, or severely tic less, when heavily concentrated. That is luckily something that allows us to become skilled at a task such as becoming a surgeon.

There is an interesting note here too. While we tic less when concentrated, we also tic more when very relaxed and not concentrated on anything. Some people see their child not tic when doing a certain activity and thats great - but sometimes people confuse that with a solution or treatment for their child. If you stay concentrated for a long time your tics are worse later. Some people are able to do this on command - such as during a school day, and then experience hell afterwards. I feel like we need balance. I often tic the most when watching TV, and people ask me if that makes me uncomfortable and I have to explain no, I am ticing more because I am so relaxed I am not holding them back.

Odd huh? If you relax and don't hold back you tic more, but if you are stressed or nervous and not relaxed you tic more. If you suppress tics they are worse later. There is no escape!

Yes! This is the hardest thing to explain to people. That I tic the most when stressed but relaxed. Like after a stressful event. Once I'm in the car or at home. It's hard to explain that stress makes it worse, and relaxing makes it worse... or better. It finally gets out. Hard to get.

I think it's like having to go to the bathroom. You can hold it better when you know you can't go, but as soon as you walk through the door you are running for the bathroom and can't hold it another second. Sorry if that is too vulgar a comparison! But it's the best I can do.

I do better with vocal tics if I can keep my hand pressed against my mouth. It also looks like I am paying more attention. Also, for my facial tics, I find pressing on the muscles with my hands helps some.